Cranberry Orange Sauce

This year I really wanted to try making cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving.  I think this is a perfect balance of sweet and tart without using too much sugar...

What you will need...

• 2 bags cranberries, rinsed
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup orange juice 
• 2 oranges, zest, juice, and pieces
• 3/4 cup sugar

In a medium pot, bring water and orange juice to a boil.  Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved.  Add the cranberries and bring to a boil.  Stir in the zest and juice from the two oranges, and a few small pieces of orange.  Boil for about 10 to 15 minutes stirring often.  Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat and chill or serve room temperature...YUM-OLA!!!

This should feed the entire family at any holiday dinner.  What you don't use, you can use in muffins, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, as a topping for pork chops, or whatever yummy idea you can think of!

Roasted Fall Vegetables

I had bought a massive butternut squash at Boyd's Orchard last week and some fabulous white sweet potatoes at the Lexington Farmers Market, so we decided to make a medley of our fall veggies and roast them.  You can add your favorites to make a stunning side dish...

What you will need...

• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 medium white potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
• 2 medium sweet onions, cut into bite size pieces
• olive oil
• dried rosemary (1 tbsp), thyme (2 tsps), and nutmeg (1 tsp)
• salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425*.  On a jelly roll pan, place all the diced veggies, coat them with a bit of olive oil (use your hands to mix everything around on the pan and then make sure the veggies are in a single layer), season with rosemary (be sure to give it a good rub in your hands to bring it back to life), thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Roast for about 40 minutes, or until done (depends on what size you consider bite size as to the time)...YUM-OLA!!!

How many people can eat...should feed about 6 people as a side dish. 

Crunchy Coleslaw

We are glad to dust off the grill for the warm seasons, and with all the cookouts, I am going to start trying out some fun side dishes.  This is a simple, healthy, and great recipe for coleslaw that you can modify.  We don't like coleslaw that is swimming in dressing, so this is perfect for our liking...

What you will need...

• 2 bags of coleslaw (or about 8 cups shredded cabbage and carrots)
• 1/3 cup mayonnase (made with olive oil)
• 2 tbsps sour cream
• 5 tbsps vinegar
• 3 tbsps olive oil
• 4 tbsps spicy brown mustard
• salt and pepper

In a bowl, wisk together the mayo, sour cream, vinegar, olive oil, and spicy brown mustard.  Taste the mixture and add more of any of the ingredients you like.  Pour over the coleslaw and mix well to coat.  Sprink with salt and then with a generous amount of black pepper.  Cover and place in the refrigerator.  It is best to make this the day before, but if not, allow as much time as possible for the coleslaw to set.  Great for a summer cookout...YUM-OLA!!!

Thanksgiving Yams

This is the easiest dish ever!  I got the recipe from my mom, and over the years, we have continued to modify it to make it more healthy.  You can modify the amount of each ingredient to make it what you like.

What you will need...

• 1 to 2 large can of yams, drained
• 1 regular can of pineapple chunks and juice
• 2 red apples, cored and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (you can even use less if you want)
• 4 tbsps cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350*.  Mix yams, pineapple chunks with the juice, apples, and raisins in a baking dish.  Cover with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Cover and bake for 35 to 40 minutes...YUM-OLA!!!

How many can eat...should make about 8 servings

Optional...if you want to make it gooey, add a layer of marshmallows before baking.